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THE STELLA ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPSJune 13, 2006Rafael NadalLONDON, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Can you just perhaps take us through what happened to you yesterday in Paris, what you did yesterday, and what time you arrived here. RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, yesterday I -- tomorrow I had in the morning some interviews, some pictures in the center of Paris, Concorde de Place? BENITO PEREZ-BARBADILLO: Place de Concorde. RAFAEL NADAL: Si, Place de Concorde. So after I go very fast to the train, for take the train of one o'clock. We arrive ten to one to the train, we can't take the train. We lost (smiling). So after I -- we wait in the train station for two hours, so we take the train at 3:15. We arrive here at 5. I go to the hotel for half an hour, and I come here for practice 45 minutes. Q. Was Sunday a big celebration, late-night celebration? RAFAEL NADAL: No, sure, is important celebration, no, but not too much, no? I go to dinner with my team, with family, with the sponsors. After we go out, no, but not a long time because I need play here. Q. What did you do for two hours in the Gare de Nord? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, we stay in the VIP, just eating olives (smiling). Q. Is that your first time on the Eurostar? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, yeah, first time. Q. Were you okay in the tunnel? RAFAEL NADAL: Very fast. I was thinking is not like this, no? Is very, very fast. I was doing the, I don't know, the article, the column for the World Cup, and is very fast. Because when I finish, I am in London. Q. When you were at the train station and also on the train, did a lot of people come and talk to you and want autographs or not? RAFAEL NADAL: In the train station, outside of VIP, yes. But inside of VIP is not too much people. Yeah, some ones coming. And in the train, no. In the train, well, we are with calm, no? Not a lot of people in the train, no? Some people, yes, but I remember I was with calm. I don't remember exactly. Q. Why this year did you decide you wanted to come and play this tournament? RAFAEL NADAL: I prefer play on this, in London this year. Is the same place like Wimbledon, the court is more similar. Last year I don't play very well in Halle, you know. Is very difficult play here, too. But I want to change, and this is more traditional, no? Q. How do you arrive here? Do you arrive a little bit tired from last week, or are you refreshed? Are you up for it? RAFAEL NADAL: No, not with the best freshness (smiling). But it's okay, no? I was practicing yesterday. I want to practice, I want to practice a little bit because I want to feel the grass. But I feel a little bit dizzy on court. The legs very tired. So, no, is not easy, huh? Q. You think it's silly to have Roland Garros and Wimbledon so close together? RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, always is the same question. But for sure yes. Q. Do you stay in London next week also? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. If I play very good - is difficult, I know - but if I play very good here, I gonna be here, no? I don't go to Mallorca, no? But if I lose before the final, I go to Mallorca for one or two days, no? And if I lose tomorrow, I gonna be in Mallorca for three days, four days. And in Sunday, Sunday night, I come back. Q. Can you relax here? Can you be a little bit more relaxed? In Paris, everyone is expecting you to reach the final, maybe to win. Here, nobody is expecting you to win perhaps this title or Wimbledon. Can you be a bit more relaxed in yourself? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, it's okay. I feel good here, no? I was arriving here, I don't have a lot of time because I go to practice a little late. I go to practice, I come back to dinner, go to sleep. Today I am coming here soon. But it's okay maybe. It's different tournament, is different situations, different surface, different expectation, no? Q. What is your expectation? RAFAEL NADAL: My expectation is improve. Q. Do you enjoy playing on grass, or is it something you feel you have to do? RAFAEL NADAL: Not yesterday, but I like it (smiling). Q. Who are you going to practice with today? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I have court at one with Feliciano, one hour. And after, at four, I have another court with (indiscernible) no, coach. Q. Thinking back to Sunday, what about your win most pleased you, about the way you played and the victory? What was the most pleasing element of your win? RAFAEL NADAL: No. Can you -- Q. The most pleasing thing, the most pleasing feeling, the most pleasing element of your win? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know exactly because win a Grand Slam title is special. It's my second time in not easy situation after my injury. So is a special feeling because I never, and I was thinking that before, no? Now I improve unbelievable. The year, the season, I begin very late. And, you know, after the injury every time is very difficult come back and play good, no? You can see a lot of players. I saw when you are some time out of the tour without competition, is very tough come back and play good, and play good soon, no? So I never think that before, and I begin very good, and is a big surprise for me. Q. Is there a time when you think you will be as strong on grass as you are on clay? RAFAEL NADAL: Sure not. Q. Not? RAFAEL NADAL: No, because I don't gonna win 60 matches on grass consecutive (smiling). Q. What do you have to do to your game to improve on grass, do you think? RAFAEL NADAL: I need change a lot of things, no? But I don't know. Maybe now is not the best moment for speak about that because I just arrive yesterday. I need change a lot of things of my head. I need change a lot of my game, no, and my mentality, too. So I gonna practice today, right now, and we will see after this practice. Because yesterday just is (speaking Spanish)... BENITO PEREZ-BARBADILLO: First contact. RAFAEL NADAL: Is the first contact for practice because I was hungry for play on grass. But is not a normal practice, no? I am very tired. I can't feel the feelings. So today we gonna see what I need change, no? I need to play more aggressive. I need serve with more decision. I need serve always here the same like the important moments on clay. Q. Do you want to or have you given yourself a big present as a celebration for winning a second French? RAFAEL NADAL: If I have a big present? Q. To yourself. RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. Why? No. Q. Why not? RAFAEL NADAL: And why yes? It's okay (laughing). My present is win the tournament. I am very happy for come back, for win this tournament, no, for come back and be in the top level of the world. That's very nice for me, and I am very happy for that. Q. Are there any grass courts in Mallorca? RAFAEL NADAL: Artificial grass courts? Grass courts maybe in two places. Q. Two places? RAFAEL NADAL: But not natural. Q. Have you ever played on them? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, last year before Wimbledon. But they don't give me the (best?) result.
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